This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/education/2015/aug/05/more-students-choosing-traditional-subjects-for-gcses-and-a-levels
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| More students choosing traditional subjects for GCSEs and A-levels | More students choosing traditional subjects for GCSEs and A-levels |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Traditional academic subjects are becoming increasingly popular in schools, with more students sitting GCSEs and A-levels in maths, English and the sciences this summer, according to the exams regulator Ofqual. | Traditional academic subjects are becoming increasingly popular in schools, with more students sitting GCSEs and A-levels in maths, English and the sciences this summer, according to the exams regulator Ofqual. |
| The trend follows sustained government efforts to encourage pupils to study the more traditional, core academic courses, often termed ‘facilitating subjects’, which are favoured by elite Russell Group universities. | The trend follows sustained government efforts to encourage pupils to study the more traditional, core academic courses, often termed ‘facilitating subjects’, which are favoured by elite Russell Group universities. |
| Other subjects – sometimes described as ‘soft subjects’ – have in turn seen a sharp fall in exam entries, with an “exceptional” 50% drop in the number of pupils taking GCSE citizenship studies since last year, according to provisional Ofqual data. | Other subjects – sometimes described as ‘soft subjects’ – have in turn seen a sharp fall in exam entries, with an “exceptional” 50% drop in the number of pupils taking GCSE citizenship studies since last year, according to provisional Ofqual data. |
| Related: Is general studies a waste of time? | Related: Is general studies a waste of time? |
| A-level general studies is plummeting in popularity, with a 25% fall in exam entries, and numbers down a third at AS-level. The number of students taking modern foreign languages has also dropped again, though the once sharp decline in the study of French, Spanish and German appears to be tailing off. | A-level general studies is plummeting in popularity, with a 25% fall in exam entries, and numbers down a third at AS-level. The number of students taking modern foreign languages has also dropped again, though the once sharp decline in the study of French, Spanish and German appears to be tailing off. |
| Next week, hundreds of thousands of students will find out how they did in their AS and A-levels when national results for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are published. The following week, on August 20, GCSE results will be issued, bringing to an end weeks of anxious waiting by teenagers. | Next week, hundreds of thousands of students will find out how they did in their AS and A-levels when national results for England, Wales and Northern Ireland are published. The following week, on August 20, GCSE results will be issued, bringing to an end weeks of anxious waiting by teenagers. |
| According to Ofqual’s chief regulator, Glenys Stacey, it should be a relatively stable year for qualifications this summer compared with last year, when structural changes affected results, but she said there were interesting changes to exam entry patterns. | According to Ofqual’s chief regulator, Glenys Stacey, it should be a relatively stable year for qualifications this summer compared with last year, when structural changes affected results, but she said there were interesting changes to exam entry patterns. |
| “The subjects that are proving to be more popular are the more traditional subjects, so we have seen modest increases in the sciences – what the Russell Group of universities would call facilitating subjects. | “The subjects that are proving to be more popular are the more traditional subjects, so we have seen modest increases in the sciences – what the Russell Group of universities would call facilitating subjects. |
| “I assume that’s in response to some of the performance measures you see now with the Ebacc (English baccalaureate), and no doubt there will be a good number of students who are thinking about their futures and where they wish to go to university.” | “I assume that’s in response to some of the performance measures you see now with the Ebacc (English baccalaureate), and no doubt there will be a good number of students who are thinking about their futures and where they wish to go to university.” |
| Earlier this summer, education secretary Nicky Morgan made clear her commitment to the Ebacc subjects when she announced that from this September pupils starting at secondary school would be expected to take GCSEs in English, maths, science, a language, and history or geography – which make up the government’s Ebacc suite of core subjects. | Earlier this summer, education secretary Nicky Morgan made clear her commitment to the Ebacc subjects when she announced that from this September pupils starting at secondary school would be expected to take GCSEs in English, maths, science, a language, and history or geography – which make up the government’s Ebacc suite of core subjects. |
| Related: China’s schools are testing factories. Why is Britain so keen to copy them? | Simon Jenkins | Related: China’s schools are testing factories. Why is Britain so keen to copy them? | Simon Jenkins |
| Morgan said parents would be encouraged to choose schools based on published Ebacc performance, with Ebacc entries given greater prominence in league tables. However, critics fear the move will marginalise creative subjects such as design, drama or music. | Morgan said parents would be encouraged to choose schools based on published Ebacc performance, with Ebacc entries given greater prominence in league tables. However, critics fear the move will marginalise creative subjects such as design, drama or music. |
| According to Ofqual’s provisional statistics, all of the sciences have seen a rise in the number of candidates sitting at both A-level and GCSE this year, with both maths and further maths noticeably more popular at A-level. More youngsters are also sitting computing at both GCSE and A-level. | According to Ofqual’s provisional statistics, all of the sciences have seen a rise in the number of candidates sitting at both A-level and GCSE this year, with both maths and further maths noticeably more popular at A-level. More youngsters are also sitting computing at both GCSE and A-level. |
| Stacey said the more traditional subjects were seen as “very good currency” for some universities. “If your aspirations are to study some subjects at universities where there is a great deal of competition for places, we know that maths is sometimes an absolute requirement for some places, and also is extremely well regarded. | Stacey said the more traditional subjects were seen as “very good currency” for some universities. “If your aspirations are to study some subjects at universities where there is a great deal of competition for places, we know that maths is sometimes an absolute requirement for some places, and also is extremely well regarded. |
| “It’s not surprising that some students with those sort of ambitions will focus on that.” | “It’s not surprising that some students with those sort of ambitions will focus on that.” |
| Malcolm Trobe, deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, welcomed the increased uptake of traditional subjects in schools, but expressed concern about the continuing decline in the study of modern foreign languages. | |
| “It is unsurprising that young people are turning to traditional subjects given the importance of these qualifications in gaining university places and the emphasis the government is placing on them as English baccalaureate subjects. | |
| “It is very encouraging if there has been an increase in the take-up of A-level maths and science courses. This is key to securing a good supply of science and technology graduates in the future, which employers say they desperately need. Having a strong science and technology sector is essential for the economic health and wellbeing of the country. | |
| “It is disappointing to hear, however, that there has been a decrease in the take-up of modern foreign languages at GCSE.” |